• Start by preheating your oven to 350F/177C. Line two, large baking sheets with parchment paper, or line them with silicon mats.

Preparing the Filling:

• For the filling, first soften the cheese at room temperature until it’s very soft. A few seconds in the microwave will also do the trick. Beat the cheese on medium speed for a few minutes until it’s completely smooth and clump free.
• Next, add in the vanilla extract or paste, salt, cream, and confectioner’s sugar. Mix again for a minute or two, until the filling is smooth.
• Transfer the filling into a disposable pastry bag or a zip-lock bag, then cut off a small part of the tip for piping.

Shaping the Pastries:

• Unwrap the thawed puff pastry and lightly flour your work surface. Use a rolling pin to flatten the pastry sheets and ensure it's smooth.
• Select two sizes of heart-shaped cookie cutters – one larger and one smaller. Use the large cookie cutter first and make as many heart shaped cuts as possible.
• Next, use the smaller cutter and cut out a smaller heart center on just HALF of the large hearts. These will be the borders or frames. You can repeat this process and use concentrically smaller hearts to use up the leftover pastries.
• Transfer the large hearts onto your lined baking sheet. Using a pastry brush, brush the beaten egg around the edges; this will act as the glue.
• Gently set the heart frames/borders around the edges. Watch my video to see how this is done. Next, pipe a generous amount of the cream cheese filling into the center, then spread a bit of the preserves on top of the cheese.
• Brush the edges of the puff pastry with egg wash. If desired, use the scraps to make smaller hearts and garnish the pastries with those.

Baking & Storing:

• Bake the pastries at 350F for 18 to 20 minutes, or until they’re a rich, golden-brown color on the top. The pastries should become light and fluffy.
• As they bake, they may lose their shape. Use a knife or spatula to gently shape them back into heart shapes as soon as you take them out of the oven. Allow the pastries to cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then enjoy!
• Have some leftovers? Keep the cooled pastries covered and at room temperature for up to 2 days.